Do you ever feel like all your meals start to look the same? It can be challenging to prepare a variety of different recipes, especially if you are trying to prepare healthy meal options. Eventually all your meals begin to look like chicken breast, brown rice, and vegetables. I have lots of clients tell me they get tired of the same old thing and need some inspiration for meals. Here are 5 ways to help revitalize your cooking at home!

1. Try a different cuisine: Lots of us feel comfortable with cuisines that we are used to cooking. My family is Italian and my mother taught me how to make delicious Italian food. I feel in my comfort zone when I am cooking Italian. But I am not as confident at Chinese, Thai, or Mexican food. However, attempting to make these dishes can really spice up your menu at home. Even if the first dish does not taste right, try it again. You will become more comfortable with the recipes and cuisines the more you make them. Try developing a cultural foods night with friends to inspire you to try different dishes

2. Mimic your favorite entree: It can be fun and less expensive to make your favorite dish at home. It might not taste exactly the same way as the restaurant but that is okay. Keep trying or add your own flair to it. When you order your favorite dish out, pay close attention to all the flavors and try to reproduce it at home. If you feel the dish is too decadent to have on a consistent basis, try to substitute healthier options such as non fat yogurt for sour cream. It can be a fun game to try to mimic the dish at home. Plus, you might appreciate the meal even more when you go out.

3. Check out Pinterest- It is very inspiring to look at all the beautiful pictures of food on Pinterest. Once you click on the picture it will lead you to the site that has the recipe. You might even come across a blog that features a bunch of recipes you would like to try. Even if you don’t prepare all the different recipes it can get the creative juices going.

4. Get the family involved: Maybe another family member has a favorite dish they want to try at home. The kids can look at pictures on the internet and pick out a recipe, or scrummage through magazines to help find new dishes. Great places to look for recipes are Allrecipes, The Food Network, or Epicurious. Ask your family if there is anything they want to try prior to going to the grocery store. This helps make your family more involved and does not put all the pressure on you.

5. Ask friends and family: Try other people’s “usual” recipes instead of your own. It must be a good recipe if they tend to make it a lot. You could even take it one step further and exchange recipes through email among a group of friends and family. This would give you a variety of new recipes to choose from.

Trying new recipes can be scary, but eventually you will become more confident in your cooking skills. With time, you might even be able to develop your own recipes based on your newly developed culinary skills and creativity.